There are lots of what I would call “niceties” that you can use with P90X, but what most people want to know is “what you NEED for P90X”!

There is a big difference between what you need for P90X and what is just nice to have. When asking this question, most people want to know what kind of equipment they are going to need because space is limited, but I want to challenge you to take a look at the 3 categories I have listed below and see if you have set yourself up for success with what you need for P90X.

Like I said, there are 3 categories in which your P90X “needs” would fall:

Equipment

Nutrition

Support

All three of these are critical to your success, so lets break down each of these three categories and find out what you NEED for P90X vs what you can do without!

Equipment – What You NEED For P90X

There are a few items that you are going to want at minimum when it comes to P90X equipment. You can take a look at the video below to see what I personally use for P90X, but the list below is what you can get by with and still get awesome results.

NEEDS:

Resistance Bands: One of the most effective ways of building lean muscle mass (and therefore burning more calories) is resistance training. P90X has lots of it. At a minimum you will need a set of decent resistance bands for your workouts. I used resistance bands for my first two rounds of P90X and got great results!

P90X Chin-Up Bar: You can use the resistance band instead of this, but I recommend this as a minimum because in most cases the bands cannot provide enough resistance for you to maximize your strength gains like good ‘ol pullups can.

NICETIES:

Adjustable Dumbbells: I have a set of LifeSmart dumbells that I got for super cheap from Academy.com. They are adjustable from 5-55lbs and are pretty stout. You can read my article on resistance bands vs dumbbells to make the best choice for you.

Pull-Up Assist: This contraption is pretty cool, but I have found that one or two legs up on a chair or step ladder is just as effective (and cheaper!)

WHAT I USE:

Nutrition – What You NEED For P90X

More specifically what I get this questions its, “what supplements do I need for P90X?“…So I am going to address supplements in this category since that is what most who ask the question are referring to. You can check out the Nutrition Zone for all the nutrition/supplement info you need!

NEEDS:

The truth on what supplements you “NEED”…NONE!

But I will tell you that it is going to take longer and its going to be much more difficult to get “P90X before & after” type results if you are not using any supplements at all. So if you were taking supplements, here is what you NEED in my opinion:

Whey Protein: This is a staple in any diet plan where you are trying to gain muscle and lose weight. The nice thing about whey protein is that when you are on a Fat Shredder Plan where 50% of your daily intake of calories is coming from protein… You can buy less tuna and eggs! You could get by without using whey protein to supplement your intake, but you would need to be getting a LOT of other protein in your diet via lean meats, egg whites, dairy etc… But that can be REALLY hard to do, and tough on your digestive system.

Recovery Formula: One of the reasons people fall short of their goals when taking on a program like P90X, Insanity, or Body Beast…is that they are not focusing on recovery. This is when you make your gains!!! Its the most important part! I personally use the P90X Recovery Formula, but you can use this alternative P90X Recovery Formula if you are on a budget.

Shakeology: This really shouldnt surprise most of you since you know that Shakeology has been the foundation of my nutrition for the past two years. If I could only spend money on one single supplement, this would be it… end of story! It has everything your body needs to operate at peak performance (which you will need while doing P90X)

NICETIES:

Creatine/Glutamine: This is not a must for gaining muscle, but its definitely going to speed up the process.

Pre-Workout: A lot of people think that pre-workout or PWO supplements are crazy awesome. While they may give you an extra boost or a nice pump… its not necessary to get phenomenal results. Just be sure you cycle your use of these so you dont build a tolerance. One month on, one month off.

BCAA’s: If you feel like they make a difference and you got the cash…go for it. Protein whey usually has a pretty solid amino acid profile though.

Support – What You NEED For P90X

This is the part of the equation that most people leave out when attempting P90X… They dont get the support they need because they think they are strong enough to handle the challenge themselves.

9 times out of 10 I have found that the people who go at P90X like a lone ranger are the ones most likely to fail… like me! I attempted P90X 7 times… and failed 7 times. You can say what you want, but somewhere between week 2 and 6, something changes and your thinking begins to change…

You tell yourself, “I worked out today…I can eat this…I deserve it!”

You start skipping 1-2 workouts per week, which turns into 3 and 4.

You start telling you are “too sore” to workout today.

You tell yourself that, “I’ll make up todays workouts with doubles tomorrow”

Can you tell I have been there???

This is why getting plugged into a Challenge Group is sooooo important! You have 5-10 other people who are doing the same workouts as you on the same days, holding you accountable, and pushing you to do your best when you want to give up! This is when it all changed for me…when I joined a team and was held accountable…I lost just over 50lbs in 210 days and then 60lbs by the time I finished my second Challenge Group!

Its a matter of commitment. If getting the results that have eluded you for so long is important to you…then you will do WHATEVER IT TAKES to make sure you dont fail!

…This is EXACTLY WHAT I TEACH in my 5 day FREE Bootcamp: How to prevent failure, and my exact step-by-step method that I used to lose that 60lbs and get in the best shape of my life!